that they might discern and attend the means in which his goodness is testified and his Spirit working And he knoweth that if such mediums abide unclouded and unperverted before them and that if they according to the light given them do in seeing see and attend to that discovered in the means The grace discovered would enlighten their mindes draw their attentions and work willingness and desires in their hearts to receive and God would convert and heal them Therefore this enemy of Mankinde exerciseth his malice in many wiles to withdraw men from beholding and attending the truth as presented in those mediums especially in the Gospel And this he doth sometime like himself as an Angel of darkness with presentation of necessities or worldly honours and riches or persecutions but sometime counterfeiting as if he were an Angel of light pretending light holiness and greater attainment and for this cause hath his Ministers appearing as Ministers of righteousness to oppose the Testimony of Christ as set forth in the plain sayings of the Gospel also in the extent of it knowing if that be hid from men the door of saving knowledge the foundation of sound repentance and faith the medium to set their will at liberty and make free to choose life is hidden from them then they are liable to be taken in his snares and seducements But that he 's mischievous end may not be seen and that he may prevail to put men by attending to such plain declaration of the Gospel he will colour over his business with a pretence of magnifying free and particular grace in a more excellent way and cry down the plain Testimony of the Gospel if received in the plain import of the words as exalting the nature of Man and attributing free-will thereto to the derogation or abating the honour of the grace of God and so scare men from attending that in which they might meet with life For the preventing of which mischievous design and removing that false aspersion cast on the truth and lovers thereof I have writ these ensuing lines which I desire may be read and the homeliness of the stile pardoned but the things themselves tried and received so far as they appear consonant to the Testimony and sayings of the Gospel and no farther The Lord in mercy sill us with the blessing of the Gospel and make us of one minde therein as prayeth the Well-willer in Christ THO MOOR A TREATISE About the will in Man and what freedom is in it to any thing truly good and whence that comes THe great love of God to fallen mankinde in giving his own Son to take the nature of man yea to be the publick man and under the law for and in the room of all men and so to dye for them all that first and accursed Death in which all mankinde had else for ever perished And Gods being so well pleased with this Death of one for all that he hath raised and exalted him and made him Lord of all and given them all over into his dispose and born witness of him and set him forth in the Gospel to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world that whosoever believeth in him may receive forgiveness of sins and have eternal life and that such as when means are used towards them rebell willingly against him may be justly judged by him This is fully and plainly recorded in Scripture and declared as the ground and foundation of repentance faith love to God and men of preaching the Gospel to all of asserting the Resurrection of all and of Christ his judging all as is plain in the Scripture and hath thereby been clearly proved by many Yet by some and such also as are in esteem both for learning and godliness this truth is not onely opposed with many subtilties cavils and invention of absurdities to fasten on it but even the clear contrary Assertion affirmed as to say that God never loved all men Christ did not dye for all men he is not the propitiation for the sins of the whole world of mankinde calling these their negations Truth and the contrary affirmations of the holy Ghost Error and Heresie and although the best of them can finde but carnal weapons as misreporting the words they should answer wrong and cloudy stating the question multiplying queries scholastical flourishes Rhetorical chidings scoffings pervertion and wresting of Scripture-sayings not one plain saying of the holy Ghost to avouch and countenance their negation withall but such expositions limitations and exceptions as tend as much to deny Gods creation of all men by Christ his making all men righteous in the first publick man that all have sinned that there is any cause for or door of repentance for all men That there is any real truth in the Gospel to be preached to all men that all men are obliged to Jesus Christ for any saving good why they should live to him or that they shall all rise and come to judgement before him nor have they any clearer testimony in the Scripture for these or any of these than for that which they deny I hope God will one day give them to see so bring them from opposing to acknowledging the truth and for that cause I have writ these few lines if it may be to remove one of their great pretended stumbles in answer to a groundless slander which is this that such as believe Jesus Christ to have dyed for all men do also therewith hold that men have free will by nature and so magnifie the nature of man and free will in man Derogating thereby from the honour of the rich and free grace of God By what reason or learning this should be raised to be a consequent of the belief of Christ his having dyed for all men I know not nor believe that any can shew but I shall endeavour to clear that part of opposed truth from giving any cause at all or having so much as any shew for such an absurdity to be cast upon it and I am sure many believing the truth are slandered And for the clearing the truth and them I desire that these four things may be considered and what the Scripture saith of them may be believed 1. The distinction the Scripture holdeth forth between that which Jesus Christ as the publick man distinct from all other men undertook to do and hath done in his own personal body with God for men without reference to the knowledge will or acting of other men and as and while they were enemies and that which as the publick man by virtue of that done in his own bodie being filled with power authority offices and spirit he hath undertaken to do doth and will do for to and in men that they might know will act and enjoy the virtue and blessing of that he hath done in his own body The first of these being done perfect compleated without the knowledge will or act of any other man in his
A TREATISE Shewing the Liberty and Bondage of the Will of Man Or A TREATISE Shewing the Bondage of the Will of Man by nature and the Liberty thereof by Grace Dum Spiro Spero LONDON Printed by W. B. for Anthony Nicholson in Cambridge Anno Domini 1652. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER BEloved Christian my desire is that none of us that profess our selves Christians and in that respect brethren may be found walking in that evil way mentioned Psal 50.19 20. much more that we use not the same as our weapons to maintain our opinions and to beat down what we fancie to be errour for its an evil and dangerous way and Truth needs no such weapons for its defence nor to confute errour and sure this can be no other than evil speaking and false to give out of any that understand and believe Jesus Christ by the grace of God to have tasted death for every man and to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole World and the enlightner of every man that comes into the World That they therefore exalt the nature of man fallen and would that man by nature hath freedom of will to that is Spiritual good Surely this report hath risen in the first raisers of it from ignorance of the very voyce of that Doctrine of grace and from conceits of foolishness in the Testimony of Jesus in the plain sayings thereof and malice against such as believe to stick close to the same and will not be waved by Philosophy and vain deceit to prefer mens garnishings before the plain Text Hence such envy and strife and charges of holding such goodness in nature fallen But whence such wisdom comes and what accompanies it see in James 3.14 15 16. And it is to be feared there is some secret magnifying of willing and running where they are in this rash censure of some to assert them where they are not and so a putting them out of place or else an overcontempt in denying their use where they ought to be for surely the attainment of remission of sins justification righteousness and eternal life It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 For chusing willing yea and running too to attain satisfaction to fleshly and sinfull lusts I believe we all think this in the nature of man as fallen full enough and the end wofull also But to will and run to attain the knowledge of God and peace and righteousness and life with him surely such a thing as this springs not from fallen nature onely but hath some light or knowledge of truth to occasion it though happily abused or imprisoned by some advancing their own wisdom with it Joh. 1.4 5 9 10 11. Rom. 1.18 19 20 21. Yet such a willing and running may be found in natural men and how highly esteemed soever by them yet not aproved of God Luke 16.15 as to say when mens willing and running is to establish a righteousness of their own by the works of the Law to get the righteousness of God Rom. 9.31 32. 10.1 2 3. Or to get Christ and Faith in him that they may believe He died for them and is theirs and they his and shall have eternal life by him if their willing and running for this be either in and by the Traditions and Doctrines of men Matt. 15.8 9. Or by their own wisdom and strength from a self-principle to avoid the second death and get eternal life 1 Sam. 2.9 Ezek. 4.6 7. Joh. 1.13 All Devotions Conversions Reformations and Attainments got in and by such willing and running is but fleshly and unprofitable Joh. 3.6 and such in their hopes prove either Ismalites the seed of the bond-woman or Edomites that as profane Esau that preferred a mess of pottage before his birthright or as those boasters Pro. 30. and wandring Stars and Clouds without water Jude And howsoever in words they may ascribe this their willing and running to the grace of God to call it the effect of his Almighty power yet will not God justifie them in it nor can they obtain the Righteousness of God by it or yet are they any better than natural men what ever they profess Luke 18.9 14. 2 Cor. 10.12 18. But I suppose this is not the willing and running that is meant in the strife but there is a willing and running that is good and approved Commanded Isai 1.19 and required in all that render service to God Exod 35.5 21. 1 Chron. 29.5 Professed of the Saints 1 Cor. 9.24 26. which is wrought in the belief of the Gospel Rom. 1.16 Ps 11.3 in which every good endeavour is accepted 2 Cor. 8.12 and without which none come to the use of understanding do obtain the Kingdom Matth. 11.12 Now this willing and running as appears in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is such as first is produced by the rich and free mercie of God held forth in the death of Jesus Christ Rom. 5.8 10. Tit. 3.4 5. And secondly is carried on in dependance on God for his performance of the good he hath promised Gal. 5.5 And thirdly seasoned with submission and patience to wait on God for his performing of his promises Heb. 10.35 36. And fourthly exercised in such ways and means as God himself hath appointed and approved Isai 64.5 1 Cor. 2.9 Yet the obtaining is not of him that thus willeth and runneth nor is it in the power or for the desert of such willing and running but of God his free gift who freely first prevented by shewing mercy and so effected the will and in the series of his goodness both drew and answered And if willing and running were understood and put in their right place it would abate the strife but I fear that Satan hath a more mischievous design in raising the contention and casting that foul Aspersion on believers For he knoweth how deeply he hath overthrown us And how far we fell in our first Father and how by reason thereof we are as we come forth from him blinde deaf dead in respect of Spiritual life and favour and Communion with God so as we can neither help our selves out of our misery nor take hold of help though wrought for us and tendered to us by another And he knoweth that the Son of God hath taken the nature of Mankinde was in that nature made under the Law for them and so died the death and wrought Redemption for them that whoever believe in him might not perish but have everlasting life And he knoweth that God hath immeasurably filled Jesus Christ with spirit in the nature of Man even for the rebellious and that in certain mediums he thereby gives forth some Testimonies of his goodness and in the Gospel a full Declaration that men might believe and so turn in to him And he knoweth that God through Christ and for his sake hath given to men an understanding above the beasts of the earth and some light
him and so challenge and hope for heaven thereby agrievous and dangerous deceit and of as wofull an issue Prov. 14.12 and 16.25 and 21.2 and 30.12 And this reproved in Gods people Zach. 7.5 6. 3. Some through folly setting the servant to rule suffering their appetite and sense to command their will do freely chuse those worst things and ways by which they lay Bars and Blocks in the way of their own conversion and so fore-stall themselves from hearkning to better offers when tendered and so provoke God to leave them to such folly as is folly in the eyes of natural men as to hire or buy a farm before they see it Luke 14.18 Yet this freedom of will given by Christ will serve to leave men that so abuse it without excuse seeing they were not necessitated to chuse the worst but did it freely without constraint and such as use it but as they may do avoid many rubs and blocks from being in the way of their conversion and yet in all this is no free will to that which is spiritually good nor any exalting of the nature of man but the grace of God for that freedom that is given 4. But to proceed farther to consider man according to the fourth consideration viz. As by virtue of the death sacrifice and mediation of Jesus Christ there is by him some light understanding and disposition given into the soul the minde will and affections of man yea every man that cometh into the world But because this will not be believed by some but is questioned and denyed it is much to produce some instances of Scripture where the Spirit of truth affirmeth the same that it may appear unquestionably true John 1.4 5 9. Jesus Christ is said to have life in him and that life in him to be the light of men that whence issues that discoverie of the knowledge of the goodness of God and that life mercy c. which men have and might further enjoy and the light shineth note it not onely to but in darkness in the blind understandings and mindes of men and their ways and the darkness comprehendeth it not but then it follows that more means is used and then vers 9. He was the true light namely from the beginning as still he is the light of the world John 8.12 which lighteth every man that cometh into the world and what this light is see Prov. 20.27 The spirit of man is the candle or lamp of the Lord which he hath given him and set up and lighted in his heart searching and so discovering all the inward parts of the belly this also is avouched by good Elihu Job 32.8 there is a spirit in man and the in spiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding and that this spirit or light and inclination though in the soul is neither the soul nor the body of man as from Adam but some infusion by the means of Christ appeareth in that it is said to be given of God that men by it might inquire after and discern the goodness of God their maker Job 35.10 11. and also that it is exprest as a third thing distinct from soul and body Luke 1.46 47. 1 Thes 5.23 And let men call this what they please it is such a light understanding and disposition as in which men are said to have eyes to see and ears to hear so as they might discern between that which is morally good and morally evil and discern many of the attributes of God and much of his minde in his works and word yea and that testimony of his Son being the Saviour of the world when it is brought to them if they close not the eyes eares given them and refuse to use them to the end for which they were given them and that is it they are reproved for as is clear Gal. 3.1 Acts 28 27 Jer. 5.21 Ezek. 22.26 And hereby it is that many natural men have so discerned the being and attributes of God in his works and have been so inclined to many moral good things and disapproved moral evils which though some of good esteem calls the Reliques of Gods Image left in Adam after the fall and therein unwittingly magnifie nature and asscribe some light and freedom of will to it and deny man to be dead in sin by the fall yet the truth is those things are the fruit of that life in Christ for men and by him given in to them John 1.3 4 5 8 9 10. So that as man is thus considered he hath from Christ such light or spirit as if heeded and suffered would make his will free to moral good things Exod. 35.5 21 26. So as in this respect there is given by Christ so much freedom as the will is not constrained but might chuse the best in respect of moral good or evil presented unto it and in respect of attending to or withdrawing from the Gospel which attended to would work a better freedom whence in their not so chusing they are charged not with a necessitous turning aside but to have chosen their own ways and that which God delighted not in and 65.12 and 66.3 4. Prov. 1.29 31. And all this is no affirmation of free will in man by nature to that which is supernaturally and spiritually good for that it yet is not nor of it self can be without some farther grace than here mentioned though in right use of this shewn even that might be met withall Prov. 8.32 36. But this serveth still to abase mans nature as fallen and to magnifie the grace of God in Christ and to aggravate the finfulness of evil chusers of their own ways yet this freedom of will though graciously given by Christ to men for their good is by many divers ways abused to their greater harm for 1. Some even when God appears and the knowledge of God is tendered and they discern the same right and good and might chuse to behold the light and attend the means of knowledge tendered in which they should meet with blessing yet because it reproveth and calleth off from some Idolatry or uncleanness or worldly lusts which they exceedingly love they without constraint do freely refuse to hearken to such instructions and yield to such acts of worship and justice mercy and sobriety as would hinder the satisfying of those lusts and as freely chuse the contrary which they might have refused but would not and in this their evil choise they say to the Almighty Depart from us we will not the knowledge of thy ways whence these are said to be the wicked indeed Phil. 3.18 19. 2 Tim. 3 4. Job 21.14 15. 2. Some when light and truth is extended discovering the vanity of Idols and false worship and mens doctrines and ways and the goodness of truth so as they begin to see what is right and good and like it as good to be followed yet because they love peace to the flesh and the approbation of man in authority and